TS ISO 56000

TS ISO 56000 is a terminology standard that defines the fundamental concepts, principles and shared vocabulary of innovation management. It helps turn innovation from an isolated creative activity into a system that can be understood, managed and discussed consistently across an organization and its stakeholders.

Why a common language matters in innovation management

The standard is relevant to organizations implementing an innovation management system, those assessing innovation management performance, trainers and consultants, and developers of related standards. In general technical terms, a vocabulary standard like this helps align key notions such as strategy, opportunity, value, uncertainty, portfolio, idea-to-implementation flow and organizational learning. That alignment supports clearer communication about an organization’s innovation capability with users, customers, investors, universities, suppliers, partners and public authorities.

The broad range of use cases covered

This document is intended for all types of organizations, regardless of sector, maturity level or size. It also applies to a wide range of innovation types, including product, service, process, model and method innovations, and to approaches ranging from incremental to radical change. Internal innovation, open innovation, and user-, market-, technology- or design-driven activities can all be discussed within the same management vocabulary.

The document specifies the terms and definitions used across the innovation management and innovation management system standards developed by ISO/TC 279. In practice, it serves as the conceptual foundation for a broader family of standards, providing a consistent language rather than a step-by-step implementation method.

• Common terms and definitions for innovation management
• Conceptual consistency in communication across organizations
• Broad applicability across innovation types and approaches
• Foundational terminology for the ISO/TC 279 standards family